Mr. Butch
Encyclopedia
Harold Madison, Jr., more widely known as Mr. Butch, and sometimes called the "King of Kenmore Square
" and "The Mayor of Allston
" was a homeless man living on the streets of Boston
. Over the course of three decades, he gained significant celebrity among Boston's college students and within its rock
scene.
, playing a Fender Stratocaster
guitar, with an open tuning that allowed him to play chords with a single finger. His wild dreadlock hairstyle and choice of guitar invited comparisons with Jimi Hendrix
.
He got his name from a T-Shirt that Billy Cole of The Real Kids
gave him that said "Mr. Butch" on it.
During the 1980s, Mr. Butch's fame among the local music scene grew, and he was given gigs at The Underground in Allston and The Rat in Kenmore Square, as well as Channel
club on Boston's waterfront (all now defunct). Besides solo gigs, he would also sometimes perform with his band of rotating musicians and derelicts, "Mr. Butch and the Holy Men". It was around this time that he began to be featured in The Noise, a local music fanzine published by T Max, and was featured in many of their advertisements. Mr. Butch is mentioned in the liner notes to local hardcore punk
compilation Bands That Could Be God, which featured, among others, Deep Wound
(pre-Dinosaur Jr.), as the man to whom the compilation would be dedicated had he been on God's other side. Mr. Butch is also featured in the art work for the CD compilation I've Got My Friends. It features a combination of Boston and San Francisco punk bands, including The Unseen, Dropkick Murphys
, The Outlets
, The Ducky Boys
, Swingin' Utters, The Working Stiffs, and Showcase Showdown
.
In the late 1990s, the Boston University
campus police, extending their authority over Kenmore Square
, exiled Mr. Butch to Allston, a neighborhood of Boston west of the Square. Mr. Butch sought refuge where he could find it, sleeping in friends' homes, a practice space where friends' punk bands played, and occasionally in ATM lobbies. He often played his guitar and penny whistle.
Mr. Butch's likeness appears in a mural on the side of a building located on the corner of Cambridge Street and Harvard Avenue in Allston.
A memorial was held Sunday July 22, 2007, where a crowd of about 1,000 people gathered in the streets of Allston to honor him. Streets were closed off as the procession, led by the Second Line Social Aid and Pleasure Society Brass Band traveled down Brighton and Harvard Ave before filing into the International Community Church for a memorial service.
Kenmore Square
Kenmore Square is a square in Boston, Massachusetts, United States, consisting of the intersection of several main avenues as well as several other cross streets, and Kenmore Station, an MBTA subway stop. Kenmore Square is close to or abuts Boston University, Fenway Park, and Lansdowne Street, a...
" and "The Mayor of Allston
Allston, Boston, Massachusetts
Allston is a neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, located in the western part of the city. It was named after the American painter and poet Washington Allston. It comprises the land covered by the zip code 02134. For the most part, Allston is administered collectively with the adjacent...
" was a homeless man living on the streets of Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
. Over the course of three decades, he gained significant celebrity among Boston's college students and within its rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
scene.
Biography
In the mid- to late-1970s, Mr. Butch was often seen on the streets near the Berklee College of MusicBerklee College of Music
Berklee College of Music, located in Boston, Massachusetts, is the largest independent college of contemporary music in the world. Known primarily as a school for jazz, rock and popular music, it also offers college-level courses in a wide range of contemporary and historic styles, including hip...
, playing a Fender Stratocaster
Fender Stratocaster
The Fender Stratocaster, often referred to as "Strat", is a model of electric guitar designed by Leo Fender, George Fullerton, and Freddie Tavares in 1954, and manufactured continuously by the Fender Musical Instruments Corporation to the present. It is a double-cutaway guitar, with an extended top...
guitar, with an open tuning that allowed him to play chords with a single finger. His wild dreadlock hairstyle and choice of guitar invited comparisons with Jimi Hendrix
Jimi Hendrix
James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix was an American guitarist and singer-songwriter...
.
He got his name from a T-Shirt that Billy Cole of The Real Kids
The Real Kids
The Real Kids were a Boston punk rock band led by guitarist, singer and songwriter, John Felice.Felice grew up in Natick, Massachusetts as a neighbor and friend of Jonathan Richman, a fellow fan of The Velvet Underground. At 15 he joined Richman in the first line-up of The Modern Lovers in the...
gave him that said "Mr. Butch" on it.
During the 1980s, Mr. Butch's fame among the local music scene grew, and he was given gigs at The Underground in Allston and The Rat in Kenmore Square, as well as Channel
The Channel (nightclub)
The Channel was a Boston music venue that was part of the underground arts community of south Boston .-History:Joe Cicerone founded The Channel in 1980, choosing the name because the club sat at the edge of the Fort Point Channel, which separates South Boston from the Financial District...
club on Boston's waterfront (all now defunct). Besides solo gigs, he would also sometimes perform with his band of rotating musicians and derelicts, "Mr. Butch and the Holy Men". It was around this time that he began to be featured in The Noise, a local music fanzine published by T Max, and was featured in many of their advertisements. Mr. Butch is mentioned in the liner notes to local hardcore punk
Hardcore punk
Hardcore punk is an underground music genre that originated in the late 1970s, following the mainstream success of punk rock. Hardcore is generally faster, thicker, and heavier than earlier punk rock. The origin of the term "hardcore punk" is uncertain. The Vancouver-based band D.O.A...
compilation Bands That Could Be God, which featured, among others, Deep Wound
Deep Wound
Deep Wound was a hardcore punk band formed in 1982 in Westfield, MA. They released one self-titled 7" and contributed two songs to the compilation LP, Bands That Could Be God, both of which are sought after by fans and record collectors alike.-Overview:...
(pre-Dinosaur Jr.), as the man to whom the compilation would be dedicated had he been on God's other side. Mr. Butch is also featured in the art work for the CD compilation I've Got My Friends. It features a combination of Boston and San Francisco punk bands, including The Unseen, Dropkick Murphys
Dropkick Murphys
Dropkick Murphys are an Irish-American punk rock band formed in Quincy, Massachusetts in 1996. The band was initially signed to independent punk record label Hellcat Records, releasing five albums for the label, and making a name for themselves locally through constant playing and yearly St....
, The Outlets
The Outlets
The Outlets were a 1980s Boston rock band, consisting of David Alex Barton on vocals, his brother Rick Barton on lead guitar, Mike White on bass and Walter Gustafson on drums.-History:...
, The Ducky Boys
The Ducky Boys
The Ducky Boys are a street punk band from Boston, Massachusetts. Since forming in 1995 in the Charlestown neighborhood of Boston, the band has spanned over ten years with two tenures that have led to four full-length albums and over 50 songs. The band derives its name from the name of an Irish...
, Swingin' Utters, The Working Stiffs, and Showcase Showdown
Showcase Showdown (band)
The Showcase Showdown was an American band who was a fixture in Boston's punk rock scene in the 1990s. The band toured the Northeast extensively and became notorious for their tongue-in-cheek songs, often about obscure cultural icons from political history, television shows and comic books...
.
In the late 1990s, the Boston University
Boston University
Boston University is a private research university located in Boston, Massachusetts. With more than 4,000 faculty members and more than 31,000 students, Boston University is one of the largest private universities in the United States and one of Boston's largest employers...
campus police, extending their authority over Kenmore Square
Kenmore Square
Kenmore Square is a square in Boston, Massachusetts, United States, consisting of the intersection of several main avenues as well as several other cross streets, and Kenmore Station, an MBTA subway stop. Kenmore Square is close to or abuts Boston University, Fenway Park, and Lansdowne Street, a...
, exiled Mr. Butch to Allston, a neighborhood of Boston west of the Square. Mr. Butch sought refuge where he could find it, sleeping in friends' homes, a practice space where friends' punk bands played, and occasionally in ATM lobbies. He often played his guitar and penny whistle.
Mr. Butch's likeness appears in a mural on the side of a building located on the corner of Cambridge Street and Harvard Avenue in Allston.
Death
Mr. Butch was traveling inbound on Brighton Avenue on his scooter around 8 AM on July 12, 2007 at a speed close to 50 miles per hour when he struck a light pole. He was taken to Brigham and Women’s Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. He was 56.A memorial was held Sunday July 22, 2007, where a crowd of about 1,000 people gathered in the streets of Allston to honor him. Streets were closed off as the procession, led by the Second Line Social Aid and Pleasure Society Brass Band traveled down Brighton and Harvard Ave before filing into the International Community Church for a memorial service.
External links
- Tribute to Butch in Boston Globe Sidekick Column by poet Doug Holder http://www.boston.com/ae/sidekick/blog/2007/07/rip_mr_butch.html
- The Mr. Butch Show (founded in 2004)
- Mr. Butch tribute profile on myspace (with links to several other Mr. Butch profiles)
- Film: Searching for Mister Butch. 2002, independent documentary, BW, 27 min (featured in the 2003 Boston Underground Film FestivalBoston Underground Film FestivalThe Boston Underground Film Festival is an annual event held in the Boston, Massachusetts area that specializes in alternative film and video. The Boston Underground Film Festival, also known as BUFF, is the largest underground film festival in New England, spotlighting short films and feature...
) - Video: Sleeping With Mr. Butch (2006), Part 1
- Video: Sleeping With Mr. Butch (2006), Part 2
- Obituary and featured guestbook at legacy.com (via the Boston Globe)